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Transnational Digital Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region: National Profiles on Digital Policy for the PA Inno Strategy Guide
POLICY AREA ‘BIOECONOMY’
Transnational Digital Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region:
National Profiles on Digital Policy for the PA Inno Strategy Guide
Transnational Digital Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region:
National Profiles on Digital Policy for the PA Inno Strategy Guide
Published by Baltic Development Forum (BDF)Year: 2016Author: Henrik Noes Piester, Senior Analyst and CEO, GoXploreEditor: Torben Aaberg, Head of Public and Digital Affairs, Baltic Development Forum
Content
6 Denmark
8 Estonia
10 Finland
12 Germany
14 Iceland
16 Latvia
18 Lithuania
20 Norway
22 Poland
24 Sweden
26 Annex 1: Respondents
4
POLICY AREA ‘INNOVATION’
Baltic Development Forum (BDF), Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs & Communication, the
Swedish Agency for Innovation VINNOVA, Poland’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education,
and the Danish Agency of Science, Technology & Innovation have formed a macro-regional task
force in charge of developing a Strategy Guide for 2016-2020 for Policy Area Innovation under
the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
1. The work of the taskforce has been split into three tracks:
2. Research and Innovation
3. Cluster Policy and SME development
4. ICT and digital growth
BDF and Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs & Communication have been in charge of
providing input to the Strategy Guide concerning ICT and digital growth. The objective is to
explore the need for and potential of transnational digital collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region
(BSR) based on inputs from national policy makers, experts and industry representatives in the
BSR. Furthermore, this activity has identified key policy priorities and proposals for actions with
a clear BSR added value. These results are summarised in the Working Paper on transnational
digital collaboration.
An important part of the work has been the development of digital policy profiles for all
countries in the Baltic Sea Region, including Norway and Iceland. The digital policy profiles
presented in this document are based on 1) extensive desk research of national policies and
strategies, and 2) interviews with key policy makers and stakeholders in the BSR countries.
The policy profiles have provided an important input to a policy seminar in Tallinn on 20th
January 2016 as well as the development of a digital policy report identifying shared digital
challenges and digital policy priorities in the BSR.
6
Denmark
1 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/denmark2 http://evm.dk/publikationer/2014/09-12-14-vaekstplan-digitalisering-af-dk 3 http://www.digst.dk/Servicemenu/English/Policy-and-Strategy/Digital-Strategy-2016to20204 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ckeditor_files/files/eGov%20in%20Denmark%20-%20January%202015%20-%20v_17_0_Final.pdf 5 http://evm.dk/arbejdsomraader/vaekst-og-konkurrenceevne/vaekst-i-hele-danmark/vaekstudspil-15-11-236 https://startvaekst.virk.dk/gaa-digital/ 7 https://erhvervsstyrelsen.dk/indre-markeds-center 8 https://www.ibiz-center.dk/in-english/
State of Affairs in DenmarkDenmark is ranked 1st in the Digital Economy and Society
Index 2016 with relatively high scores in all dimensions,
including Digital public services, Integration of digital
technology and Use of internet.1
The Danish Government has launched several initiatives
to support further digitisation of the economy and society.
In February 2015, the Danish Government presented a
new plan for the digitisation in Denmark with a focus on
four areas: 1) Better mobile and broadband coverage in
all parts of the country; 2) Strengthening the use of IT
and data in the Danish business sector; 3) Better match
between demand and supply of e-skills; and 4) Smart
government to the benefit of businesses.2
The Danish eGovernment strategy, titled ‘Joint Public
Digital Strategy: The Digital Road to Future Prosperity
2011-2015’ has been implemented, and a new strategy
covering 2016-2020 has been published May 2016.
The Digital strategy for 2016-2020 3will focus on the
following three key objectives: 1) Increasing efficiency
and freeing up resources; 2) Creating value for citizens
and businesses for instance through a focus on user
experience and needs; and 3) Supporting innovation and
growth.
Finally, the Danish government together with the national
association of municipalities (KL) and the national
association of Regions (Danske Regioner) have launched
a joint public sector ‘Strategy for Digital Welfare 2013-
2020’. The aim of the strategy is to accelerate the use
of ICT and welfare technology in frontline public service
delivery, specifically within healthcare, care for the
elderly, social services, and education.4
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
• e-skills: Denmark is performing well with regard to
basic e-skills, but there is an increasing shortage of
ICT professionals. This is affecting businesses as well
as the public sector in Denmark. There is a need to
strengthen the capability of public sector organisations
in managing large scale IT projects. For this purpose, a
certification scheme for public IT projects has recently
been launched to ensure a high level of quality and
effectiveness in the procurement and implementation
of IT solutions in the public sector.
• Digital infrastructure: There is a strong political focus
on improving mobile and broadband coverage in all
parts of the country, in particular in the rural areas.
A government strategy from 2015 titled ‘Growth
and development in all of Denmark’ proposes the
establishment of a new fund to support better access to
broadband in rural areas.5
• Digital Single Market incl. eCommerce: A key challenge
is to increase the number of Danish businesses
involved in cross-border eCommerce. A national
partnership has been launched to support the
digitisation of Danish businesses, including increasing
their involvement in eCommerce.6 Danish businesses
can get information and advice free of charge on
product and service specific rules and regulations
concerning export to other EU member states.7
• Business uptake of ICT: Overall, the business sector in
Denmark is performing well with regard to the uptake
of digital solutions compared to other countries,
but there is a need to support the further uptake of
digital solutions, in particular among SMEs, as well as
increase the innovative use of ICT and data, including
Big Data. Various initiatives have been launched,
including the Danish Innovation Centre for eBusiness.8
A key policy issue is to ensure that personal data is
collected and used by businesses in accordance with
data protection regulation. An online tool, ‘The Privacy
Compass’, has been developed to help businesses
map their use of personal data and check if their data
7
9 https://privacykompasset.erhvervsstyrelsen.dk/ 10 https://www.evm.dk/publikationer/2015/15-11-23-vaekst-og-udvikling-i-hele-danmark11 http://www.digst.dk/Servicemenu/English/Policy-and-Strategy/Open-Data-Innovation-Strategy-ODIS 12 http://www.nordicinnovation.org/da/projekter/lighthouse-projects/innovative-nordic-digital-solutions/
practices comply with data protection regulation.9
There is a strong political focus on the Industry 4.0
agenda. More specifically, the Danish government will
form a partnership with national business and industry
associations aiming at launching new initiatives to
promote automation and uptake of new production
technology in Danish SMEs.10
• Innovative digital public services: Key challenges include
strengthening user involvement in the development of
public services and increasing the level of back-office
automation.
• Cross-border digital solutions: The development of
cross-border solutions is often driven by EU legislation,
resulting in area specific solutions. A key challenge is to
ensure that existing and future cross-border solutions
are more user friendly.
• Open data: Government data can provide the basis for
new services and insights that are useful to citizens
and businesses alike. However, there is currently a
lack of uniform practice with regard to access to public
data, which constitutes a barrier for the development
of innovative solutions. As a result, businesses and
entrepreneurs may not be aware of existing data,
and there are considerable differences with regard
to the availability of and access to the data of public
authorities. In addition, legal and privacy challenges
need to be tackled. Some authorities have income-
generating sale of their data, and their business models
need to be reconsidered and possibly adjusted.11 A
national ‘Open Data Innovation Strategy’ has been
launched to create easier and more uniform access to
public data.
• Other key themes/challenges: Rules concerning sharing
economy business models, legacy systems as a barrier
for digitisation, cyber security, and better conditions for
digital entrepreneurs.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaDenmark is engaged in international collaboration
on digital policy, including various UN, EU and OECD
committees. Denmark is also involved in hands-on
collaboration on the digital agenda. One example is a joint
Nordic project on testing eID, and the project ‘Innovative
Nordic Digital Solutions’, which aims at developing the
Nordic regions into a pioneer region for new and innovative
digital solutions.12 Different factors are supporting
Nordic collaboration in the digital area, in particular the
similarities with regard to administrative structures,
cultures, and levels of digital development in the Nordic
countries.
Concerning Denmark’s involvement in macro-regional
collaboration in the digital area, the key areas of interest
include:
• Improving the knowledge base: Studies or information
on emerging issues and new policy initiatives in the BSR
relating to the digital agenda.
• Experience sharing: Peer to peer collaboration, study
visits.
• Informal policy coordination: Macro-regional
collaboration can provide opportunities for informal
policy coordination, e.g. developing common positions
in relation to EU digital affairs.
• Projects: Promoting and developing specific cross-
border digital solutions, interoperability and standards
that support the implementation of the digital single
market. Also relevant to consider projects supporting
the development of strong entrepreneurship ecosystems
for ICT in the BSR, and initiatives that may help address
national e-skills shortages by matching supply and
demand across borders.
8
Estonia
13 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/estonia14 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ckeditor_files/files/eGov%20in%20Estonia%20-%20January%202015%20-%20v_17_Final.pdf15 https://e-estonia.com/estonia-and-finland-to-plug-in-real-time-economy/ and http://smarttwincity.eu/
State of Affairs in EstoniaOverall, Estonia is performing well compared to EU-28
and is ranked 7th in the Digital Economy and Society
Index 2016.13 Estonia is well known for being a digital
frontrunner in a number of areas. Key initiatives
include X-Roads (data exchange layer) and e-Residency
(digital identity for non-residents that allows digital
authentication and the digital signing of documents). The
Estonian Government has launched a number of initiatives
in the digital area, such as: A plan to increase basic
computer literacy skills and fostering the development of
ICT-skills for specialists and a Cyber Security Strategy for
2014–2017 with the objective of increasing the capacity
of the state in the area of cyber security and raising the
awareness among the common public of cyber risks.14
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
• Digital infrastructure: A key challenge is to avoid
legacy issues through a modernisation of systems and
infrastructure.
• e-skills: There is a need for improving the skills base
of Estonian citizens. A number of national programmes
for supporting the use of ICT by children and the elderly
have been launched to address this challenge.
• Innovation and competitiveness of the national ICT
sector: Estonia is a small country and access to
ICT specialists is a challenge for the ICT industry.
There is also a need for individuals with combined
ICT and business skills. An additional challenge is
internationalisation of the national ICT sector.
• Business uptake of ICT: The use of digital solutions
within the business community should be increased.
Key barriers include lack of access to ICT specialists,
lack of skills and knowledge at company management
level, and lack of financing for investments.
• Innovative digital public services: There is a need to
increase the use of IT in the public sector. Another
key challenge is the redesign of public services with a
focus on user needs. Most digital services are currently
national, and need to be made cross-border in order to
better to support data flows.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaEstonia is engaged in international collaboration on
digital policy, including various EU and OECD committees.
Estonia is also a founding member of the D5 alliance
of leading e-governance countries (Estonia, the United
Kingdom, South Korea, Israel, and New Zealand). The
purpose of the alliance is to exchange experiences on
information society and the e-state. Estonia is also
collaborating with other countries on a bilateral basis. In
2013, the governments of Estonia and Finland digitally
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
cooperation in the field of information and communication
technologies, which includes joint use and development
of the Estonian data exchange layer X-Road. Other recent
cross-border digital projects involving partners from
Estonia and Finland include a B2B real-time economy
initiative and the establishment of a Smart City Twin
Centre of Excellence.15
9
The BSR is considered to be of strategic interest for
Estonia, not the least due to the relative high number of
near market transactions, in particular with Finland and
Sweden. Moreover, macro-regional projects are often more
relevant and faster to implement than EU-wide projects,
due to structural and cultural similarities between the
countries in the region. EU and OECD are platforms for
policy collaboration, while the BSR is well suited for
hands-on collaboration.
Key areas of interest include:
• Improving the knowledge base: Benchmark and best
practice studies, information on national developments
and initiatives
• Experience sharing: Peer to peer collaboration, study
visits with a focus on architecture, user-centered
design, etc.
• Projects: Linking infrastructures and integration
platforms in the BSR. Developing and disseminating
cross-border digital solutions for instance eID
and e-signatures, and supporting cross-border
interoperability. Joint initiatives aiming at increasing the
pool of ICT practitioners in Estonia and the BSR.
10
Finland
•
16 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/finland17 http://www.tietoyhteiskuntaohjelma.fi/esittely/en_GB/introduction/index.html 18 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/elibrary/factsheet/egovernment-finland-january-2015-v170 19 http://www.internetofthings.fi/about.html 20 http://valtioneuvosto.fi/sipilan-hallitus/hallitusohjelma?p_p_id=56_INSTANCE_SSKDNE5ODInk&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-2&p_p_col_count=1&_56_INSTANCE_SSKDNE5ODInk_languageId=en_US
State of Affairs in FinlandFinland is ranked 4th in the Digital Economy and Society
Index 2016.16 Finland is among the EU leaders in Digital
public services and Human capital, not least due to a high
proportion of ICT specialists in the workforce compared to
EU-28.
The Finnish Information Society Programme has
constituted the strategic framework for the digital
agenda in Finland in the period 2007-2015. The aim
of the programme was to boost competitiveness and
productivity, to promote social and regional equality and
to improve citizens’ well-being and quality of life through
effective utilisation of information and communications
technologies. 17
Various government programmes supporting have been
initiated in Finland in support of the digital agenda. In
2014, Finland launched an open data portal, avoindata.
fi, as a part of an open data programme managed by
the Finnish Ministry of Finance. The portal provides
one-stop access to Finland’s open data, and promotes
the interoperability of tools and guidelines, as well
as public administration service information.18 The
Finnish Government also launched an Internet of Things
programme in 2012-2015 with the aim of developing
crucial building blocks, models, platforms and ecosystems
for the next generation of Internet services.19
The Finnish Government has made “user-based, one
stop shop digital public services” a key objective of
future public digitisation efforts in Finland.20 This implies
supporting further digitisation and improvement of public
services, promoting an open data agenda, supporting R&I
in the digital area, improving the legislative environment,
introducing a culture of experimentation, and improving
management and implementation of Government
programmes.
Key Digital Challenges and Priorities in Finland
• e-skills: Access to ICT professionals is not a problem in
Finland, since there are currently many redundant ICT
professionals in Finland following the decline of the
national mobile industry. The main challenge is that
many of the redundant ICT professionals are specialised
in mobile technology, and they often need training
to enter new industries. The Finnish Government can
provide funding to non-digital companies if they decide
to hire ICT professionals, but the incentives scheme has
had limited impact to date.
• Business uptake of ICT: A digital transformation of
the business sector in Finland is needed. A number of
government initiatives have been launched to promote
the digitisation of the business sector, but additional
actions are required, in particular with regard to cloud
computing, SaaS, and data security. Young companies
are often born digital, so the Government’s main focus
is on helping established medium sized and large
companies with their digital transformation as well as
supporting digital start-ups.
11
• Innovative digital public services: There is still a need
for further actions to support the digitisation of the
public sector, including the development of one-stop-
shops for specific public services. Silo thinking in
the public sector is a challenge. In addition, future
digitisation efforts need to promote a focus on customer
perspective/needs. Regulation is barrier to developing
innovative digital public services: Data collected for a
specific purpose cannot be used for other purposes (not
possible to reuse data).
• Open data: The Finnish Open Data programme has been
quite successful, but lack of data standardisation is an
issue.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional ActionsFinland is engaged in international collaboration on digital
policy, including various EU and OECD committees. Finland
is also actively involved in cross-border digital projects on
a bilateral basis (in particular with Estonia) as well as on
Nordic, BSR and EU levels.
Macro-regional collaboration is considered to be able to
provide added value to the national digital agenda, and
joint projects in the BSR can also be a ‘showcase’ for the
EU. Moreover, cross-border projects in the BSR can be
used to set international standards (case: GSM standard)
thus providing a global competitive edge to the macro-
region. Concerning future macro-regional collaboration in
the digital area, Finland’s main areas of interest include:
• Improving the knowledge base: Benchmarking and
best practice studies, macro-regional studies and
recommendations concerning specific themes or issues
relating to the digital single market or eGovernment.
• Experience sharing: Peer to peer collaboration, study
visits.
• Policy coordination: Macro-regional collaboration can
be an opportunity for developing common positions for
instance in relation to EU digital affairs.
• Joint projects: Opportunity for developing specific cross-
border digital solutions, interoperability and standards.
12
Germany
21 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/germany22 http://www.bmwi.de/English/Redaktion/Pdf/digital-agenda-2014-2017,property=pdf,bereich=bmwi2012,sprache=en,rwb=true.pdf23 http://industrie4.0.gtai.de/INDUSTRIE40/Navigation/EN/industrie-4-024 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/germany
State of Affairs in GermanyAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2016,
Germany ranks 9th out of the 28 EU Member States and
has a score above the EU average. Germany is performing
exceptionally well with regard to Integration of digital
technology, but scores below EU average on Digital Public
Services.21
The German federal government has defined its current
digital policy priorities in the policy document Digital
Agenda 2014-2017.22 The policy document addresses a
wide range of policy areas, including digital infrastructure,
digitisation of industry, innovative public administration,
digital participation, trust and cyber security.
A key digital policy issue in Germany is the digital
transformation of industry. A national strategic initiative
has been launched aiming at establishing Germany as
a lead market and provider of advanced manufacturing
solutions. This strategic initiative entitled ‘Industry 4.0’
is part of the German government’s High-Tech Strategy
2020.23
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
• Digital infrastructure: Digital infrastructures are
important building blocks for the digital economy and
society, and the lack of access to broadband constitutes
a challenge for digital business models and digital
entrepreneurs. The uptake of fast broadband services
in Germany is below EU average, and the German
government is planning to provide fast broadband
internet (50 Megabits per second) to all rural and urban
areas by 2018.24
• Digital Single Market: A key challenge for the further
development of the digital economy is to avoid market
fragmentation and national particularities. The EU
Digital Single Market Strategy is an important driver for
realising the potential of the Digital Single Market.
• e-skills: e-skills are important for the digital
transformation of industry and the public sector. Access
to ICT practitioners is a key issue.
• Uptake of digital solutions by the business sector:
Industry 4.0 is a key priority, not only for big industry
players, but also for start-ups and SMEs in Germany.
Awareness raising is very important – many companies
including SMEs are interested in the Industry 4.0
agenda, and there is a need to inform SMEs about
challenges and opportunities. The digital transformation
of industry offers huge opportunities. According to the
German Federation of Industries (BDI), the digitalisation
of European industry (EU-17) offers an annual value-
added potential of roughly 1.25 trillion euros over the
next ten years. However, failure to facilitate the digital
transformation of industry can result in a potential loss
of up to 605 billion euros by 2025.
13
A key challenge concerning Industry 4.0 is to develop
standards, not only at national level but also at
European level. Industry 4.0 also involves skills issues,
in particular with regard to new production methods and
new professions. In addition, SMEs often have limited
resources to develop Industry 4.0 solutions, and they
need access to funding and to concrete examples of
well-functioning business models. Legal uncertainties
are also a barrier to exploiting the full potential of the
Industry 4.0 agenda. Finally, the security of systems/
network is important.
• Digital global value chains: Integration of SMEs in
digital global value chains is a key challenge.
• Privacy and cyber security: Key issues for citizens and
consumers, but also for industry. There are currently
legal uncertainties concerning personal data that need
to be addressed.
• Other key issues: Big data as a driver of innovation.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaCross-border collaboration in the BSR can add value to the
implementation of the Digital Agenda in Germany.
Key areas of interest include:
• Informal dialogue on digital policy developments,
regulatory barriers to the digital transformation of the
economy and society, and key themes such as the
digital single market, smart cities, digital innovation,
robotics, etc.
• Cross-border collaboration and exchange of best
practice with regard to digital entrepreneurship,
developing strong start-up ecosystems, including
successful digital incubators/accelerator programmes.
• A closer and more frequent exchange between German
and BSR industries with a focus on national best
practices and creating a digital transnational ecosystem
in Europe.
• Developing common solutions to the integrity
and security of data transfer as well as to develop
supportive, interoperable and market-relevant
standards.
14
Iceland
25 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/iceland
State of Affairs in IcelandAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2015,
Iceland is performing well compared to EU-28 on all
dimensions of the scoreboard, in particular Connectivity
and Use of Internet.25
Iceland currently has a new information society strategy
under development. In 2015, the Ministry of the Interior
released the Icelandic National Cyber Security Strategy for
Iceland 2015–2026, including a three year Action Plan.
The National Cyber Security Strategy addresses the need
to protect critical infrastructure as well as the response to
growing cyber security threats.
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
• Digital infrastructure: Coverage is high: 98 percent of
Iceland is covered by high-speed broadband. However,
there is a risk with regard to the vulnerability of
connections to mainland Europe and North America.
• Funding for public sector digitisation projects:
Development and implementation of innovative
solutions is costly.
• e-skills: Access to ICT practitioners is a key challenge
for the business sector.
• Business uptake of ICT: The uptake of digital solutions
is considered too low. Industry 4.0 agenda can promote
innovation and growth.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaIceland is engaged in numerous activities relating to the
digital agenda, including EU, OECD, Nordic and bilateral
activities. Activities in the BSR can complement these
activities, in particular by focusing on the development of
innovative digital public services and the uptake of digital
solutions by the business sector. Specific actions could
also include strengthening the informal dialogue between
relevant policy makers in the BSR and supporting peer-
learning activities and exchange of experience between
countries in the BSR.
15
16
Latvia
26 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/latvia27 http://www.varam.gov.lv/eng/darbibas_veidi/e_gov/?doc=13317 28 http://www.varam.gov.lv/eng/darbibas_veidi/e_gov/?doc=13317
State of Affairs in LatviaAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2016,
Latvia is performing above EU average on a number of
indicators, but Latvia also faces substantial challenges, in
particular with regard to integration of digital technology
by Latvian businesses.26
The digital policy priorities of the Latvian Government are
defined in the Information Society Development Guidelines
2014 – 2020.27 The stated goal of the guidelines is “to
provide an opportunity for everyone to use the possibilities
offered by ICT, to develop a knowledge-based economy
and to improve the overall quality of life by contributing
to the national competitiveness, and increasing economic
growth and job creation”.
Seven specific focus areas have been defined for 2014-
2020: ICT education and skills; Widely available access to
the Internet; Modern and efficient public administration;
E-services and digital content for society; Cross-border
cooperation for the digital single market; ICT research and
innovation; and Trust and safety.
The strategic coordination of public ICT development and
maintenance in Latvia is based on the Organisational
Model for the Management of Public Information and
Communications Technologies formally approved in
2013.28 This ICT management model identifies the main
parties involved: the public ICT organisation, sector
ICT organisations, hybrid ICT organisations, public ICT
manager forums, and sector ICT management councils.
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
Digital Single Market incl. eCommerce: Access to markets
– online and offline – is a key challenge for Latvia,
and currently only 7 percent of Latvian SMEs are doing
business across borders.
• e-skills: There is a shortage of ICT professionals in
Latvia. This constitutes a barrier to innovation and
growth for the Latvian economy. Shortages are evident
both in the ICT sector (programmers, ICT and application
developers, ICT architects, data analysts etc.) and
among ICT skilled specialists in other sectors, especially
manufacturing, medicine, banking, accounting, and
public sector. The demand for ICT practitioners in Latvia
is expected to exceed supply by 21% in 2020.
• Business uptake of ICT: The uptake of digital solutions
by Latvian businesses is relatively low. Main barriers
include a lack of understanding of the strategic and
economic importance of digital solutions, limited
financial capabilities, focus on day-to-day routine
operations, and lack of access to ICT-practitioners/know
how.
• Innovative digital public services: Latvia has a strong
focus on the integration of different information systems
and registers, in order to support the “once only”
principle – the government only asks for data once.
One example is the online tax refund declaration, which
features pre-filled data from relevant registers, including
privately owned. Four principles make up the basis of
current eGovernment policy in Latvia: digitisation of
business processes alongside with re-design to enhance
their efficiency; 2) development of public services for
citizens and businesses; 3) re-use of public sector
information; 4) increased quality of eGovernment in
Latvia including ensuring interoperability and security.
• Other key themes: e-signatures and Smart Cities
17
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaLatvia is engaged in international collaboration on digital
policy, including various EU and OECD committees.
In addition, Latvia is engaged in macro-regional
collaboration, including a number of cross-border projects
with the participation of Latvian public authorities,
knowledge institutions and organisations. Examples of
relevant projects in the digital area include:
• Central Baltic Startup Springboard (business
acceleration programs and coaching of business startup
teams) under the Central Baltic Programme 2014-2020.
• BELT - Baltic Entrepreneurship Laboratories (creating
new joint Central Baltic companies and cooperation
between start-ups in the Central Baltic region with
a focus on “Smart City”) under the Central Baltic
Programme 2014-2020.
• Central Baltic ICT - Export Meta Cluster
• SMART E67 - Advanced traffic management on E67
transport corridor
• SmartPorts - Modern and attractive small ports network
through cross-border interactive information system,
joint marketing and improved port services
• DeDiWe - The Developer of Digital Health and Welfare
Services
Concerning Latvia’s involvement in macro-regional
collaboration in the digital area, the key areas of interest
include:
• Improving the knowledge base: Benchmark and best
practice studies concerning specific themes or issues
relating to the digital single market or eGovernment.
• Experience sharing: Peer to peer collaboration, study
visits with a focus on ICT policy development and
specific themes such as access to markets, e-skills,
business uptake of ICT, innovative digital public
services, and smart cities.
• Projects: Promoting and developing specific cross-
border digital solutions with a focus on e-signatures.
18
Lithuania
29 Rollout of Next Generation Access network 30 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/scoreboard/lithuania
State of Affairs in LithuaniaAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2016,
Lithuania ranks 13th out of the 28 EU Member States.
Overall, Lithuania is performing well with scores above
EU average on all DESI dimensions, except with regard to
Human resources. More specifically, Lithuania is one of
the leaders in NGA rollout29, while progress is still needed
in the specific area of Open Data.30
The national digital policy priorities are defined in the
Lithuanian Information Society Development Programme
2014–2020 “Digital Agenda of Lithuania”:
• increased percent of population in digital literacy;
• development of advanced electronic services;
• digitalization of cultural heritage;
• development of Lithuanian language technology
solutions;
• further development of broadband;
• safe, reliable, interoperable ICT Infrastructure.
The strategic objective of the Programme is to improve
the quality of life for the Lithuanian residents as well as to
strengthen the business productivity through the use of
the opportunities created by the ICTs and to, by the year
2020, increase the internet users in Lithuania to at least
85 percent and the companies using high–speed internet
to at least 95 percent.
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
e-skills: e-skills and e-literacy are important issues in
Lithuania. Key priorities include reducing the digital divide
of citizens, increasing the use of personal identification
in the digital environment, and encouraging Lithuanian
residents in gaining knowledge and skills for using ICT
in areas such as e-commerce as well as for managing
personal data and using e-identification tools and
e-banking services securely. The Lithuanian Government
is also working on enabling flexible learning conditions
to ensure lifelong learning opportunities in the digital
environment.
Uptake of digital solutions by the business sector: A
key issue is to increase the operational efficiency and
competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in
Lithuania and to encourage them to adopt and use ICT. In
addition, there is a need for improving the legal framework
for information society services to exploit new digital
business opportunities and to better protect the rights of
citizens and businesses in the digital environment.
Open data: Lithuania is performing below EU average
with regard to open data, and the Government is focusing
efforts on encouraging businesses to use public data
commercially and to increase the availability of data.
Key actors in Lithuania are also arranging ‘hackatons’ to
promote the development of innovative solutions based
on public data. Currently, the vast majority of open data
initiatives in Lithuania are at the first level of maturity,
19
i.e. open data are published in different formats. In
addition, authorities are developing and using individual
technological solutions that may not be compatible.
Finally, the authorities do not share all data, and in some
cases the data which could be used by businesses on a
commercial basis, are subject to a payment. In order to
improve the situation, the legal framework is now under
review and new initiatives are launched to improve access
to data and ensure interoperability between different
systems.
Public sector modernisation: Key objectives include
providing more administrative services on-line, to provide
these services via one gateway, to develop trans-European
electronic services and to introduce people to use
administrative e-services. In addition, the Government
intends to develop ICT solutions aimed at increasing
the openness of public governance processes and to
encourage active participation of the public in these
processes. Some of the key challenges in the development
of innovative digital public services is the lack of cross-
department interoperability, improving IT governance
as well as retaining skilled IT professionals in the public
sector.
Other key issues: Digitisation of the cultural heritage and
development of Lithuanian language technology solutions.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaLithuania is actively involved in various BSR political fora
and cross-border projects. In the digital area, the specific
proposals for future actions include:
• Promoting digital policy dialogue between BSR
countries and support the exchange of knowledge and
best practice with regard to key digital issues, including
the development of innovative digital public services,
regulation, e-skills, trust and open data.
• Promoting cross-border exchange of data and
documents by promoting the cross-border connectivity
of national interoperability platforms and developing
unified e-signature solutions.
• Development and analysis of business cases for
cross-border exchange of data and documents. The
assessment of business cases can help identify key
areas to be further developed in cross-border pilot
projects in the BSR.
20
Norway
31 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/scoreboard/norway32 https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/meld-st-23-20122013/id718084/?q=digital%20agenda&ch=1#match_0 33 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/scoreboard/norway
State of Affairs in NorwayAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index
2016, Norway is performing well compared to EU-28 on
all dimensions of the scoreboard, in particular Human
Resources and Use of Internet.31 A key policy document
is the Government’s strategy for a digital economy and
society, Digital Agenda Norway.32
Norway is involved in a number of digitisation projects,
including a Nordic project on eID with a focus on public
sector services. The solution may also be used in the
private sector, for instance in the financial sector.
Key National Challenges in the Digital Area
Innovative digital public services: There is a strong focus
on developing digital public services that are easy to
use for citizens and businesses. In addition, information
needs to be easier to find, in particular tax and health
information. The digitisation of public services is
increasingly focusing on potentials for reducing public
administration expenditure, for instance by implementing
digital mailboxes for public sector information.
Access to public sector information: There is currently
a number of national initiatives concerning open data,
and all open data sources are listed on the website Data.
norge.no. A key challenge is to establish a national
structure for public sector information.
Uptake of digital solutions by the business sector: Overall,
business uptake of digital solutions in Norway is relatively
high. However, Norway’s score with regard to online
cross-border sales and electronic information is below EU
average.33
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaCross-border transactions of documents and data is
a relevant focus area for collaboration in the BSR. A
tentative approach could be to analyse first the business
case of cross-border transactions in various areas and
on this basis select the most promising areas for pilot
projects. There is also a need for more information on
developments in the BSR countries and new initiatives,
for instance the different projects between Estonia and
Finland.
A challenge for the BSR in the digital policy area is
the lack of an organisation to help drive transnational
collaboration. Nordic Council of Ministers has facilitated
transnational collaboration between the Nordic countries
in the digital policy area, but there is currently no
facilitator for transnational collaboration in the BSR in
this area.
21
22
Poland
34 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/poland35 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/node/12415136 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/community/opengov/news/poland-academy-help-administrations-fight-digital-exclusion
State of Affairs in PolandAccording to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2016,
Poland is facing a number of challenges in the digital
arena, in particular with regard to Integration of Digital
Technology (business digitisation and eCommerce), while
the score for Digital public services is above EU average.34
The Polish Government has launched several initiatives
addressing the digital challenges with a focus on
broadband infrastructure development, electronic services
(cloud) development, e-skills and demand development,
and cybersecurity. Key initiatives include the National
Integrated Informatization Programme (2014), the
National Broadband Plan, and the Operational Programme
Digital Poland 2014 -2020 with a total budget of 2.17 bln
euro, including approx. 950 mln EUR for e-administration.
These three documents define the activities and available
funding for the development of digitisation in Poland up
until 2020.35
In addition, the Polish Government has created the Polish
Academy of Accessibility, a web portal, to help public
administrations and developers increase the accessibility
of their websites and online services.36
Key Digital Challenges and Priorities in Poland
Infrastructure: Broadband infrastructure is a key issue and
Poland is investing heavily in this area.
Digital Single Market incl. eCommerce: Close to 5 percent
of Polish SMEs are involved in cross-border eCommerce,
which is below EU average. Main barriers to cross-border
eCommerce are cross-border payments and delivery costs
along with language issues.
e-skills: There is a shortage of ICT professionals, which
is a barrier to growth for the Polish economy. In addition,
the digital literacy and usage of ICT in society needs to be
increased.
Business uptake of ICT: The uptake of digital solutions is
considered too low, in particular with regard to SMEs.
Innovation and competitiveness of national ICT sector:
Thre is a need to focus on internationalization of the
national ICT sector (global outlook), to increase R&D
investments, and facilitate collaboration between the
business sector and the research community.
Cross-border interoperability: Key factors limiting
the cross-border exchange of data include a lack of
interoperability related to electronic identification,
electronic documents (eDocuments), and base registers
(authentic sources).
23
Innovative digital public services: Innovation is hampered
by a lack of skills in public administration. There is a
need for a single cross-government vision for national
information infrastructure and for a government enterprise
architecture approach. Finally, the use of digital public
services by citizens or businesses is facing a number of
barriers, including lack of awareness among potential
users, digital illiteracy or unwillingness to use digital
public services due to lack of trust, or lack of perceived
need.
Other key themes: Focus on Internet of Things, transition
to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), and cybersecurity.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional ActionsPoland is engaged in international collaboration on digital
policy, including various EU and OECD committees. Poland
has entered a number of bilateral agreements, including
agreements with Denmark, Portugal, and Republic of
Korea.
Key areas of interest include:
• Improving the knowledge base: Benchmarking and
best practice studies, macro-regional studies and
recommendations concerning specific themes or issues
relating to the digital single market or eGovernment,
including prices comparison for small parcel delivery,
and economic analysis of accessibility to electronic
services.
• Experience sharing: Peer to peer collaboration, study
visits with a focus on ICT policy development and
specific themes such as cyber security, enterprise
architecture, and user-centered design.
• Policy coordination: Developing common positions, for
instance in relation to EU digital affairs.
• Projects: Promoting and developing specific cross-
border digital solutions, interoperability and standards
with a focus on eID recognition, electronic payments,
electronic invoices, and e-signatures.
24
Sweden
37 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/scoreboard/sweden38 http://www.government.se/contentassets/8512aaa8012941deaee5cf9594e50ef4/ict-for-everyone---a-digital-agenda-for-sweden39 https://digitaliseringskommissionen.se/in-english/40 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/egov_in_sweden_-_january_2015_-_v_17_0_final.pdf41 https://digitaliseringskommissionen.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Summary-strategic-areas-and-proposed-actions.pdf42 http://www.vinnova.se/en/Our-acitivities/Strategically-important-knowledge-areas/Information-Technology/43 http://www.vinnova.se/en/Our-acitivities/Cross-borde-co-operation/Challenge-driven-Innovation/Challenge-driven-Innovation/
State of affairs in SwedenSweden is among the digital leaders in the Baltic Sea
Region, with high scores on all dimensions of the Digital
Economy and Society Index 2016.37 In 2011, the Swedish
Government presented a national strategy ‘ICT for
Everyone - A Digital Agenda for Sweden’ with a stated
goal of becoming the best in world at exploiting the
opportunities of digitalisation.38 As part of the strategy,
the Swedish Government set up a Digital Commission
in 2012 to analyse and monitor progress in terms of
meeting the ICT-policy goal, present proposals for new
policy actions, highlight benefits associated with the
digital transformation and sharing best practices.39
In 2012, the Swedish Government also launched a
strategy for collaborative digital services in government
administration, ‘Putting the citizen at the centre’.40
More recently, the Digital Commission in December 2015
identified six strategic areas that should be prioritised in
Sweden’s future digitalisation policy:41
1. Continuous central government engagement in
promoting the digitalisation of society
2. Regulations that function in and for the digital
transformation
3. Skills for the digital society
4. Infrastructure that promotes digitalisation
5. Data-driven innovation for growth
6. Security and integrity in a digital age
A new digitisation strategy for Sweden will be published
in 2016.
The Swedish Agency for Innovation (Vinnova) has identified
Services and ICT as one of the agency’s strategic areas.
This strategic area deals with meeting the changes and
opportunities in society resulting from new information
technology.42 In addition, Vinnova has identified four
societal challenges in which Sweden’s prospects for
internationally leading innovativeness are considered
good, including Information society 3.0 and Competitive
Production.43
Key national challenges in the digital area
• Infrastructure: Strong focus on developing 5th
generation of telecom.
• Business uptake of ICT: Large companies such as ABB
and Volvo are very advanced in their use of ICT. The
key challenge is to promote the digitisation of small
companies, in particular to ensure that they can remain
or become part of value chains of large companies.
• Support for digital start-ups: Supporting innovative
digital start-ups is a key challenge. In particular, digital
start-ups need to collaborate closer with industry, and
efforts are needed to keep digital talents in Sweden.
• e-skills: Sweden has a relatively high share of ICT
specialists in the workforce, but still faces a shortage.
Use of ICT in the education system and getting more
young people into ICT educations are key issues.
25
• Innovative digital public services: Strong focus on
digitisation of the public sector, in particular at
municipality level. Municipalities often do not have
the capability to engage in the development of digital
services.
• Other key issues: Data driven innovation, trust and cyber
security.
Assessment of the Relevance and Potential for Macro-Regional Actions in the Digital AreaMacro-regional collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region is a
political priority for Sweden, complementing collaboration
at bilateral, Nordic and EU levels.
Key areas of interest in the digital area include:
• Improving the knowledge base and promoting exchange
of experiences through peer to peer collaboration, study
visits, etc.
• The informal policy dialogue between BSR countries can
be strengthened, focusing on key digital policy issues
and regulatory issues, in particular digital business
models, access to e-skills, data-driven innovation,
innovative digital public services and digital start-ups.
• Promoting and developing specific cross-border digital
solutions, facilitating cross-border access to living
labs, test and demonstration facilities in the BSR, R&I
matchmaking events.
26
Annex 1: Respondents
Poland Sebastian Christow, Director, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Department of Informatization.
Michal Bukowski, Minister’s Counsellor, IT Strategy and Enterprise Architecture Division,
Department of Informatization, Ministry of Digital Affairs
Germany Dr. Frank Goebbels, Director, European Digital Policy, Federal Ministry of Industry and Energy
Quirin Blendl, Senior Manager, Digitalisation and Industrial Value Chains, Federation of
German Industries
Estonia Taavi Kotka, Deputy Secretary General, ICT, Ministry of Economic Affairs & Communications
Siim Sikkut, Digital Policy Adviser, Government Office
Latvia Elita Zvaigzne, Senior Consultant, INFSO and eGovernment, Ministry of Environmental
Protection and Regional Development
Lithuania Aiste Paradnikaite, Ministry of Economics
Daiva Kirkilaite-Chetcuti, Head of Information Society Unit, Office of the Government of
the Republic of Lithuania
Finland Tapio Virkkunen, Ministry of Employment and Economy
Antti Eskola, Ministry of Employment and Economy
Olli-Pekka Rissanen, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Finance
Norway Tor Alvik, Agency for Public Management and e-government
Sweden Cecilia Sjöberg, Head of Division, Vinnova
Lena Carlsson, Kanslichef, Digitaliseringskommissionen
Denmark Torsten Andersen, Head of Department, EU & International Affairs, Danish Business Authority
Mikael Bomholt Nielsen, Head of Section, EU & International Affairs,
Danish Business Authority
Yih-Jeou Wang, International coordinator, Danish Agency for Digitisation
Iceland Elvar Knútur Valsson, Senior economic advisor, Ministry of industries and innovation
27
POLICY AREA ‘BIOECONOMY’POLICY AREA ‘INNOVATION’
